Lawn-mower



C. F. JENKINS.

LAWN MOWER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5V. 1920. 1,401,156. Patented Dec. 27, 1921'.

AILJNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES FRANCIS JENxms'oF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT or COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOB, T0 MCTC-Mower. COMPANY, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A ConronATIoN- or MICHIGAN.

LawNi-Mownn,

Speeication of Letters Patent. Patented De@ 27 1921.

Application iled June 5, 1920. lSerial No. 386,718.

y To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES FRANCIS JENKINS a citizen ci the United States, and resident of Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lawn-Mowers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein toA the accompanyin drawing.

roadly, this invention involves a lawn mower provided with a motor arranged for driving the cutting devices directly, the ma# chine being also meantime advanced slowly,

- rapidly,vor not at all, as theoperator may deslre.

It further involves advancing the machine when desired, by the same or a dierent motoror by manual power. It-further involves means for disconnecting the cutting device motor from the cutting andother devices and operatively connecting the cutting devices with means for advancing the An object then of this invention is to provide a lawn mower having cutting mechanism arranged to be power-operated independently of bodily advance of the machine. Another object is to provide such a lawn mower with devices whereby its bodily advance maybe controlled by thevoperator, vwith or without the aid of power,..so that,

lwhile thecutting mechanism is operating,

the machine may be advanced as rapidly or slowly as desired or may even be stationary.

An ordinary mower cuts properly only vwhile advancing somewhat rapidly and as it l acquire -ble or safe,

cannot then be stopped actly at any desired 'distance from a tree, plant, or obstacle of any kind, and cannot be madeto cut ina space too short for it to necessary speed .of advance, no cutting in close proximity to obstacles is feasiand much is necessarily left to becut by a sickle or by hand clippers. With the arrangement above indicated, however, the cutter may operate at any' speed and while so operatingvbe -Slowly advanced In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1` is a perspective view of the main portions of a mower provided with my denot shown.

instantly and eX-- Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3, Fig. 2.

ln these figures, A. represents the frame, B the handle, C the ground wheels, and D the axle of `ordinary rotary spiral cutting blades E coacting with the usual member,

As usual, the ,i wheels C are shells or outwardl closed cups F, inwardly closed by disks (ir7 fixed to the frame A, and having central hollow stub shafts upon which rotate central sleeves I of the shell F,

the latter being held to the disks by bolts J.V rl'he interior of the Shell has an annular gear K with which meshes a` loose pinion L on the cutter shaft D. The pinion has on one Side a cone L to coact with a clutch member M splined on the Shaft D and I thrown into and out of frictional engagementby a shipper N pivoted at O and operated from a handle P, near the machine ,handle B, by a rod Q, bell'crank R and link S, the clutch member lbeing normally inactive. The wheels may thus be 'made to rotate the-cutter shaft D so long as the operator holds the clutch in engagement.

The frame A supports in'an'y convenient way or location a motor T shown as an electricswitch-controlled motor 'Connected by a belt T to a pulley U on the shaft D; but a small gasolene motor may be used instead of themotor shown. The motor being in action the cutter is rotated thereby and if the clutch Mbe engaged the ground wheels are also rotated and the machine is advanced bv the power, orby power and manual force of the operator. If the clutch be disengaged, the mower may be moved about wholly' by4 -power rotated thev hands of the operator, the cutter' acting 1on any grass which it may meet or which it can, by any manipulation, bernade to strike.

The motorl-mayiof course, be freed from the cutter in anypf many well known ways, one method-beingthe use of a suitable spline at Y working in a grooveV" .1 When so freed, tli'e clutch-being inoperative position,

x Toreduce the posslble striking force of the cutters in meeting an obstruction either the upper pulley 'or the beltmay be adapted to yield readily, and tojillustrate, a means the cutter-maybe operated by the ground wheel iin the usualway.

means for driving the cutter shaft from the motor.

2.\The combination with a. lawn mower frame having a guiding handle and ground wheels one of which is internally geared, of

a rotar cutter, a pinion loose .upon the cutter s aft and engaging the geared ground wheel, means for engaging the pinion with its shaft, a motor arranged toI drive the cutter shaft, and means for disconnecting the motor from the cutter shaft.

3. A lawn mower, comprising a shaft, a rotary cutter carried thereon, a wheel frame on which said cutter is mounted, a motor alsov mounted on said frame and directly driving said cutter, and releasable friction means under the control of the operator forV driving the-ground wheels from the cutter shaft.

lln testimony whereofl hereunto afl-ix my l signature.

CHARLES FRANQIS JENKINS. 

